Acculturation Status and Substance Use among Ethnic Youth
Acculturation Status and Substance Use among Ethnic Youth: The Role of Peer and Family Jaewon Janet Baek Northwestern University Summer Undergraduate Research Program at University of Virginia
Background �Health risk behaviors, such as substance use and sexual risktaking, are significant contributors to mortality during adolescence and later in adulthood (CDC, 2007) �Foreign-born adolescents report lower rates of substance use than U. S. -born adolescents �However, acculturation is associated with increased substance use for both Latinos and Asians (Hussey et al. , 2006) �Limitations of prior findings � Most studies only measure length of residence and language proficiency � These acculturation measures do not explain the why or how
Research Question �What social and cultural factors mediate the relations between acculturation and marijuana use? Are the effects similar across different ethnic groups? Peer norm Marijuana use Acculturation Familial values
Methodology �UCSF Youth Risk Behavior Survey (2008) � 30 -minute online survey � 603 subjects aged 18 -24 � White (n=203), Asian (n=206), Latino (n=194) �Measures �IV: Acculturation � Length of residence, language use, AHIMSA �DV: Marijuana use �MV: Familial value, peer norm
Acculturation Level by Ethnicity
Marijuana Use by Ethnicity
Structural Model for Asians e 4 1 1 e 2 LOR Language Use Peer Norm -. 21*** -. 24** 1 . 18** Marijuana Use Acculturation -. 29*** 1 e 3 AHIMSA -. 19** Familism 1 *p<0. 05, **p<0. 01, ***p<0. 001 e 5 1 e 6
Structural Model for Latinos e 4 1 1 e 2 LOR Language Use Peer Norm -. 26*** -. 17 1 . 25*** Acculturation -. 16* 1 e 3 Marijuana Use AHIMSA . 065 Familism 1 *p<0. 05, **p<0. 01, ***p<0. 001 e 5 1 e 6
Findings and Implications �The mechanisms through which acculturation increases risk for marijuana use are not the same across ethnic groups �Peer norms emerged as the strongest predictor of marijuana use for all ethnic groups �Prevention/intervention programs should be culturally responsive �Researchers should incorporate social and cultural factors when studying the effects of acculturation
Future Directions �Moderators (i. e. neighborhood context) �Different risk behaviors (i. e. binge drinking) �Gender differences �Longitudinal study
Acknowledgement �Joanna Lee, Ph. D. (University of Virginia) �Ryan Brown, Ph. D. (Northwestern)
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